Bloodstains

My teen is to thank for this one. Never listen to music (a cookie to anyone that can guess what was playing) and discuss Snape with your teen at the same time. The teen didn\'t get the song and these three helped to explain it all.


Title: Bloodstains
Author: Chameleon
Rating: R (For a little bit-o-language and images - I think there are some that would call this a PG13.)
Pairing: SS/LM HPwantsSS
CATEGORY: Dark, Drama

Summary: COMPLETE - Life is never fair or convenient. Be careful what you wish for - it may just blow up in your face.

WARNING(S): Slash, CHARACTER DEATHS

Beta: The magnificent Alter (AKA: Akalterego). Her works can be found at fanfiction.com (http://www.fanfiction.net'akalterego).


Disclaimer: JKR and some guys in suits own everything. I just borrow out of love and devotion.


Life is simple… there is no such thing as justice – the rich are always innocent, the poor always guilty; the Lone ranger and Tonto never die, Gandalf will always return and there will always be another Dark Lord.
~ A Teen


Bloodstains


Severus Snape was tired. Strike that. Severus Snape was royally and completely exhausted.

The far-too-old-to-be-doing-this-kind-of-work spy was on his way home, again, from a special Order assignment. He had been gone two weeks this time and was more than happy to be home. He was sick and tired and more than ready to put an end to all the stealth and subterfuge. He had decided that this was to be his last assignment.

The exhausted man sighed and swiped a cold hand across his face. He could really use a relaxing night curled up with his lover in front of their fire with a warm drink. Yes, a warm body and a warm drink were just what he needed. But he knew that Luc would be busy tonight. It was Christmas after all. Narcissa, that bitch Luc saddled himself with, always made Lucius attend the obligatory social events of the season. He would have to settle for the warm drink. Later, he would send a message and Luc would come as soon as he would be able.

Trudging down the snow covered street the shivering man noticed the old sign swinging in the icy breeze. A gentle creaking the only sound that could be heard outside of the whispers of the wind on this cold and empty night. Yes, a warm drink was just what he needed. He decided to stop in at the Hog’s Head before completing his trip up to the castle.

He pushed the large wooden door open and slid into the nearly empty room. Most people were at home on this night with their families. Soon, Severus told himself. Soon.

Draco Malfoy caught his eye as soon as he entered the darkened pub. Draco nodded toward a booth in the back. As the younger Malfoy slid into a seat Severus picked up a double at the bar.

The blond didn’t even look up as the tall figure came to stand over him. “Sit down I’ve got some bad news and it’s gonna hurt.” Draco declared without preamble. “I’ve known you since the day I was born,” he continued in that same dull voice.

Severus Snape never heard the actual words.

“Severus, please don’t loose your head. Potter...” he paused and dragged in a deep breath, “well he has a way of beguiling any man. To tell you the truth, I have been with him myself.”

Draco shifted his gaze to stare out across the pub at nothing in particular. The man before him had so far said nothing. He had not even taken a sip of the drink he clutched tightly in his hand. The deathly pallor of his face was the only evidence on his stoic exterior that he had heard and understood what had been said.

“Potter seems to have been unraveling lately and - ”

Snape stood abruptly without a word and swept from the room. Draco didn’t need to ask where the other man was going. They had been down this road to many times. Faithfulness was not a part of his father’s allure.


Severus used the Southern Entrance. These doors to the Malfoy Manor were set to admit him with ease. They led discretely to Luc’s suite. Narcissa’s only requirement was absolute discretion. Thus, Severus’ private entrance. No need to call ahead. No need to worry about being seen. Easy in, easy out. Such a small price to pay.

Severus reached for the door handle and stopped as he noticed the blood stains leading from the door, across the small portico and out across the grounds visible in the faint lamp light. Bloodstains? From what? Who? No one but Severus ever used this entrance.

He leaned down and swept some of the viscous liquid up on his stained finger tips. He brought it slowly to his nose and sniffed cautiously. Yes, definitely blood.

Confused, he allowed his eyes to follow the trail out across the grounds towards the very woods he had just apparated into moments before. Unthinking, he wiped his bloodstained fingers off on his cloak as he began to descend the steps and follow the glistening trail.

Snape cautiously crossed the grounds hesitantly following the growing puddles of blood. He lent down when he noticed tracks to small for Lucius to make. A glint in the grassy snow a few paces away caught his attention. He leaned over and swept it up scrutinizing it carefully. His chest tightened. He recognized it.

“Luc, what is going on here,” he whispered into the silent night. “What have you done my friend?” Even in the dim light of a waning moon the blood on the blade glittered.

“Luc,” he pleaded breathlessly to the forbidding night. “Luc, my love, what have you done?” He glanced around him noticing more bloodstains trailing into the nearby woods. “I can’t do this anymore Luc.” His voice trembled along with his hands. “I can’t save you again.”

He gripped the hilt of the dagger tightly as he stood abruptly. “I have nothing else with which to buy Albus’ silence my love.” The night did not answer. Even the creatures of the night were silent. Only the wind stayed by his side, pushing him forward. Pressing him to go on. “And, if you have done what I believe that you have …” his heart clenched and begged to die in his chest.

He moved on toward the woods. “Couldn’t you have simply fucked him and then left the stupid boy alone? Was your pride so damaged that you had to have your revenge?” He pulled his cloak closer around him shivering. “At the cost of …everything?” He shook his head and focused on the glistening trail again.

He stopped at the edge of the woods. They were dark and shadowed. “Nox,” he whispered raising his wand before him.

His breath caught in his throat at the sight on the ground before him just inside the woods. A body in a puddle of blood.

Severus started to shake as he looked down at the blond body at his feet. Cold dead eyes stared up at him.

The light in Severus heart went out.

Time and life passed without notice in a backwoods edge of Malfoy Mansion until voices seeped bitterly into the silence. Somewhere deep in what was left of his subconscious mind Severus heard the approaching Aurors. His mind vaguely supplied that someone must have contacted them. He slowly raised an arm and shot a small stream of sparks into the air to alert them to his location.

The flickering green lights sparkled in the grey eyes at his feet. Severus vaguely remembered seeing light dance in those eyes once a long, long time ago. A lifetime ago.

A large hand ripped the wand from the pale fingers. “Why’d you do it?” was barked into his ear.

No answer ever came. Two had died there that night - dead men don’t speak.


Events passed quickly from there.

The Wizengamot was called to an emergency trial in the middle of the night. The murder of one of the wizarding world’s most prominent members had to be dealt with swiftly. If luck held out, news of the trial and execution would be published along with the news of the murder so no ones’ holidays would be disturbed by such horrid events.

The make-believe trial ended rapidly.

Evidence was, after all, overwhelming.

Master Malfoy’s blood was found on the cloak of the murderer. The knife that dealt the deadly blow was found in the possession of the killer. The fiend never offered so much as a single word of explanation. And let’s not forget that he was a Death Eater – they enjoy killing for the pure pleasure of it.

Snape kept his head down, curtains of black hair shielding his face. He was stolid. Dead. Nothing mattered anymore. Let them do what they would – his life ended at the edge of the bloodstained woods.

Dementors were brought in immediately to administer their kiss. The condemned head was raised slowly and surely. No resistance. The dead do not resist.

Harry Potter burst through the doors of the courtroom in time to see the dementor pull back, the soulless body slumped into the seat as it was released.

NO! NO! NO! This wasn’t how it was supposed to happen! Harry slid to the ground in front of the now disregarded body as the Wizengamot began to make their way out of the room. Their casual words cut through the room slicing into all that remained of trust and justice.

“Well now we can get back home.”

“Emily and the kids are here for the hols. Can’t be gone when the little nippers get up for their gifts now can I?”

“Oh, I can just get some sleep in before I have to get up and get over to Felonia’s house.”

The voice’s trailed off into the corridors.

Aurors stood by impatiently waiting to take away the soulless murderer. No one interrupted the Boy-Who-Vanquished-You-Know-Who.

For the next few days all any witch or wizard seemed to be able to talk about was the brutal murder of the honorable Master Malfoy and the disgusting Death Eater convicted and condemned for the heinous act.

“And to think we all thought he was a war a hero…” snide voices would whisper over and over again.

“Did they ever find his wife?”

“Why would he do it?”

“Disgusting Death Eater trash! They don’t need an excuse…”

Harry leapt from his seat at the bar. He had heard enough. He pushed his way from the crowded pub. No one dared to stop the man with a storm raging in his green eyes.

The next morning the Daily Prophet, a special edition of Witch Weekly, The Quibbler and every other wizarding paper across Europe ran the final letter and confession of Harry James Potter – hero of the wizarding world:


I, Harry James Potter, do solemnly swear that the testimony that I am about to give is true and complete to the best of my ability.

I can not continue to allow the plague of hatred and distrust that has fallen on my beloved Severus Snape, former Potions Master of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

I, Harry James Potter, killed with malice and intent one Lucius Malfoy.

I followed Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy home from a Christmas ball they attended on Christmas Eve. I accessed the Malfoy Mansion by way of the woods at the southern side of the mansion. I had seen the layout of the mansion during the war against Voldemort when members of the Order of the Phoenix prepared to infiltrate the Death Eater stronghold.

The southern entrance provides access directly to Lucius Malfoy’s private chambers.

I slipped quietly past the wards and defenses of the mansion. After gaining entrance to the mansion I located Lucius and cast the Imperius Curse on him. I intended to have him stab himself with his own knife thus making it look as though it was a suicide.

Unfortunately, his bitch of a wife decided to make an appearance during the process. Narcissa Malfoy, the one that made it all possible, that allowed her loathsome husband to … well, let’s just say that that is one body that the Ministry will never find.

Lucius managed to break the Imperius Curse while I dealt with his wife. Bastard tried to crawl away to escape. I caught up with him before he made it to the apparition point in the southern woods.

I watched him take his last gasping breaths. I listened to his last words.

Severus Snape was convicted in a farce of a trial by the Wizengamot that same night. The mockery of justice made no concern for evidence or truth. They killed an innocent man. Don’t trust your souls to a backward Ministry that allows lies and deceit as long as the blind comfort of the wizarding world is not disrupted.

The Ministry has bloodstains on their hands. At least I purged the world of one more useless sycophant wizard for love.

Harry James Potter


At the time that this publication went to print, we were unable to confirm nor deny any statements contained in the letter. Ministry and Magical Law Enforcement officials were unavailable for comment. Mr. Potter’s letter was authenticated by …

Finis